By: Jen Russon
Two South Florida teens died after one plunged into a lake, and the other drowned during a failed rescue attempt on Tuesday.
Venkata Sai Krishamurthy, ‘Sai,’ of Parkland, died on April 19 at the scene of the crash. Friends and family reported the teen was hungry after another successful championship game at Coral Springs Gymnasium and lost control of his car while navigating to a Taco Bell.
Having driven into unfamiliar territory and on his cellphone at the time of the accident, Sai’s car went into the lake near the Sawgrass Mills community at NW 12th Street and North Flamingo Road.
Krishamurthy was number 66 on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas boy’s basketball team.
A second tragedy occurred at the scene when 17-year-old Aden Perry, walking with his mother and dog, attempted to rescue Sai and drowned. Perry was taken to the hospital by emergency responders but succumbed to his injuries.
On Sunday, a memorial was held in Sunrise, where friends and family grieved for the loss of two young men with promising futures.
Perry, who planned to study the sciences and pursue a career in medicine, has a GoFundMe established by his family, which has already raised $70k toward its $120K goal.
Matthew Veerasammy, a friend of the Krishamurthy family, said an athletic scholarship is now being created in Sai’s beloved memory.
The ‘Play for Sai’ scholarship fund will be organized by the late teen’s friends and fellow teammates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Its details are still pending.
“College meant a lot for us academically, and for him, leaving, I thought it would be beneficial to have a scholarship in his name,” said Veerasammy.
He added that the scholarship would be dedicated to excellence in basketball and those in low-income communities striving for excellence in the sport.
“God knows, that meant a lot for his family and for him,” he said.
Services for Venkata Sai Krishamurthy will be held at Fred Hunter Funeral Home in Hollywood. On Tuesday, April 26, a visitation will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 pm.
The funeral is at the same location on Wednesday, April 27, at 9 a.m. Fred Hunter Funeral Home is located at 6301 Taft Street.
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